Gaming Trends That Were Purged This Last Decade
When it comes to the past decade, the video game industry has seen its share of change. Sony and Microsoft each introduced new consoles — the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, respectively. Nintendo rolled out two new consoles in that span: the Wii U and the Switch. Virtual reality finally came into its own, thanks to efforts from Oculus and Sony. And the dreaded loot box became a staple in many titles, causing governments around the world to give such schemes a good, hard look.
Those are the big changes introduced in the last ten years. But what about the gaming trends we've basically done away with? Here are some of the more notable ones we remember.
Walled garden multiplayer
One of the more notable trends we saw disappear in the 2010s was one most players probably never expected. After years of ensuring PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo players could only play with those on their own platforms, the walls finally came crumbling down.
Games like Fortnite and Rocket League paved the way, taking Microsoft and Nintendo up on their cross-play offers while pushing Sony to do the same. Today you can play those titles with anyone on any platform, as well as the latest Call of Duty, which no one in their right minds would have predicted a decade ago.
Instrumental games
Remember all the hype surrounding games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band in the 2000s? Toward the tail end of that decade, it sure seemed like we'd be having those kinds of experiences forever; that we'd be jamming in our basements long after the PlayStation 7 and Xbox whatever released.
Not so much.
The Guitar Hero franchise essentially vanished. Rock Band got one more release in Rock Band 4, but it came at a time when the fad felt outdated. We still have rhythm games; Beat Saber would like a word, as would Crypt of the NecroDancer. But games with dedicated musical instruments have largely faded out.
Games that go away
Someday you'll sit a grandchild on your knee and tell them about the good old days. "Back then, you could play a game, beat it, and then put it in the closet," you'll say. Those days are long gone.
Destiny helped usher in the era of the live service game, and now just about every single game you touch is built with replayability in mind. There are multiplayer modes. There are new PvE content drops. There are leveling systems and purchaseable cosmetics and all sorts of other things to keep you coming back.
On one hand, it's great — your favorite game can keep on living. On the other hand, though — wouldn't you rather let go at some point?